


Chains

by shedrak1221



Series: Mystery skulls - Broken hearts and shattered memories [4]
Category: Ghost - Mystery Skulls (Music Video), Mystery Skulls (Band)
Genre: HERE WE GO AGAIN!, Multi, NO SPIDERS!, Nom nom. tasty souls. Tasty pain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-09
Updated: 2016-04-09
Packaged: 2018-06-01 04:34:51
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6501010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shedrak1221/pseuds/shedrak1221
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Requested oneshot. "Arthur getting possessed, and the exorcism requires painful methods."<br/>Expect pain in here.</p><p>Included in the BHASM series because it can fit in its canon, has references to it. Can't be considered one of my AUs.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Chains

**Author's Note:**

> So! I'm kinda working in my own book, Golden wings. (yes, a 2.0 of golden feathers, it will be a trilogy) (it's taking too long to be honest) And I needed a sword for my blog. Kind Lewanei drew it for me, and in exchange, I wrote this! It was supposed to reach 5.000 words, but everyone knows I CAN'T make short things!
> 
> Lewanei: "Let everyone know I'm an evil cookie that asks for torments for mah dorito :V"  
> You asked it!
> 
> Triggers!: Blood, knifes, a crawly thing, and death for background people.
> 
> Let's go!

He really could not make his mind. Was this the worst situation he had been in?

It would take him a lot of inner evaluation to get to a conclusion. And right now, he had better things to pay mind to. He could not complain about all the bad experiences in his life, not now, not when he was in yet another one.

Arthur snarled and tried to move again. He still had his robotic arm on, but the ropes tied around his wrists were not allowing him to move away from the wall he was against. He was tied, in a far corner, in a very dark room. He would swear he was in another cave, were not for the fact he knew he was not. This was a mine, below an abandoned metallurgic factory.

He would pay mind to all the metal scattered around, to all the beams; to how there were drills and things he would like to get scraps from. He would, if he was not seeing something which always got his eye first. Always.

Lunatics.

He could see cultists. Roaming around, standing and whispering in the big tunnel, in the dim lighted shadows. It was not an unfamiliar sight. They freaked him out, but he was used to it.

Now, there were many kinds of them. Ones who were inexperienced idiots with a new found strange book, ones who did not know how to use knifes and had a liking for monologues, the dangerous ones with pure obsession for power…

He was debating if these were idiots, or the dangerous kind. The cultists were not wearing any hoods or masks. They were wearing normal clothes; they could seem workers from the factory. They did not talk much either, and had a mean look to them. They could really get into the mining career if they did not kidnap people. He also knew that they had guns, and that they knew how to use them.

He still had to find out one thing, what they planned to do. With him, and the other person they had kidnapped.

Arthur kept on moving his wrists with a frown, trying desperately to free himself. No one was paying mind to him, because he was tied, kept away in a corner of the mine, near some metallic beams. He had been kidnapped, but he had not been the first. He sweated nervously, because the bastards were speaking near another man, who they had taken here before, before his arrival. When they took him away, he had been led through the upper tunnels, towards this big chamber, and then tied up. He had caught a glimpse of fear in the other man, out of reach to speak with, also tied.  

There was a huge pit in the center of the tunnel. Big, and dark. Arthur had not been here for enough time yet, but he had enough experience to know it was nothing good, because the cultists seemed eager to be near it.

He soon found out why.

Arthur’s eyes blinked and opened wide, because he heard something. Something that echoed up from that pit, faintly at first. He shivered, because he heard the sound of something scratching the ground below, something that seemed to have many limbs. He froze at last, not because his captors stopped looking at the other prisoner and neared, but because he saw a shadow. It was a huge shadow, reflecting on the walls of the pit. He saw something move, with many limbs. It made those scratching sounds, while it moved there, where it was not seen. That shadow moved, fast, and seemed to drag itself, until he stopped seeing its outlines.

Arthur watched in horror, he was unable to do anything but stare in disbelief. He finally understood that the lunatics were the dangerous kind, the kind which showed interest in demons, and offerings. He finally dawned on the fact… That the other man was not kidnapped for show. Neither he himself. He saw at last why the other prisoner had seemed so scared. That man had seen what had happened here before his arrival, and it was not pretty.

The cultists untied that man, who struggled and cursed. None of the two were able to stop them. He was dragged near the pit, and without words, pushed in.

Arthur held his breath, pale. There were no words, no ceremony. Nothing. Nothing but the sound of that person rolling down, down the uneven wall of the pit. Then the thud when he landed, the groan of pain. Then silence.

He could not see the pit. He could not see its bottom. But the cultists could, while they leaned to peek down.

Arthur flinched and shuddered, he cowered more against the wall.  There was a scared gasp, and then-

_Klklklklkr._

That sound was silenced by the screams.

Even the cultists leaned slightly away from the edge, when the screams flowed up. Arthur panted in fear, while the sounds of something moving and slashing echoed up. The yells faded slowly, with the sound of sharp things against skin. He pressured himself against the wall, wide eyed. The sacrifice seemed to last for less than three minutes, given that the screams ended. There was a loud thud, of many things falling down there. Whatever was in there had stopped moving. Yet he did not feel any less fearful.

The men turned, they stopped looking down. They looked at him.

Arthur thought they would throw him next. Until one of them spoke to him at last, after so many hours of having ignored his rambles and complaints.

“One week.”

He let out his breath, because they walked away down the tunnel, far from him and the pit. They left him alone. He tried again to untie himself, to unlatch his fake arm, to no avail. He did not know what was down there. But he did not want to find out.

He bowed his head tiredly and slumped with a sigh, he resigned to just wait. Wait for them to find him. Because they would. 

He remembered well how this had begun, and he was worried for them, as much as for himself.

 

* * *

 

 

People disappearing mysteriously. It was something they heard commonly. It was something they knew how to deal with, what caused it. Psychos. There was a difference in their job with the one of the police, because psychos could come in many forms and shapes. The police did not deal efficiently with the kind they were familiar with. Spirits. A ghost could be malicious.  A malicious spirit could turn into a vicious demon, given time. And then, it could tempt normal and mortal psychos, to reach their mutual goals.

In any case, they always dealt with the mutual relationships between psychopaths, if the supernatural was involved. They always investigated things others would be too weary or scared to do so.

That did not mean all of them liked the job. Far from it.

Arthur had just expected an easy job. _Go to this town with a bunch of disappeared townsfolk_ they said, _it will be easy_ they said. He just expected yet another bunch of teens with a crappy book, hoarding people in a barnyard far from the blind eyes of the police. But no.

_“Viv!”_

He yelled and pulled, he panted, while he tried to push off himself the three guys holding him. He cried in alarm, because he saw Vivi be pushed next to one of the two cars nearby. Vivi, the one who could punch down a wrestler. It took four guys to push her and hold her, with one of them now laying down holding his jaw.

The blond snarled and gave another angry kick, managing to stumble to a side, while still held up. They both had expected these bastards. They had lured them, they expected these two cars to speed out of nowhere into the field, where they had parked the van in for the night. They did expect them to try to kidnap them both, as they wanted them to try.

Arthur and Vivi had been the lure, they had waited. They had been sure of themselves while they acted like two simple campers along town. They did not expect one thing. Lewis to be unable to do his part when the time came.

Vivi growled angrily and head-butted one guy holding her too tightly. She did not manage to free herself, but she did manage to look to the distance. She cried angrily, because she saw Lewis and Mystery, there, struggling on their own.

Lewis had been ready to shield them both. He had been waiting with Mystery, out of the van. Watching, waiting for the fools to arrive, to show themselves, as they had done with many other persons camping around here. He had been ready to leap, to burn them down, with the aid of Mystery in his true fearsome form, able to shove them all into the back of the van with his tails.

He had leaped out of his hiding spot, as soon as they began to try to handle Arthur and Vivi into the trunks of the cars. Sadly, not even as a ghost was he untouchable.

Lewis growled and panted, his hands scratched the ground while he crouched in pain. Multiple waves of exorcism had hit him, and his ghostly clothes were torn. His flaming skull whipped up, because he heard one of the bastards send another spell at him. He would have been hit once more, if Mystery did not leap in between again, lashing with his tails to block the exorcism.

These guys were more prepared than the ninety percent of lunatics they dealt with. They did not expect this in such a small town, not without traces of murder, only kidnappings.  Not many people knew how to control their will, to summon spells. It was something very uncommon. They surely had a demon in their grasp, and had taken measures in case it went out of control. They could hurt Lewis.

Arthur kept punching with his robotic fist, wildly and blindly. Vivi did too; she fought more fiercely with her own glowing hands. Lewis had stood, and was taking blow after blow, ignoring the tearing in his soul. Yet he was unable to do anything but hiss in pain when Vivi was tied and finally shoved into one car. Arthur was too, hurriedly. The cultists had not expected a ghost to appear, and were eager to leave with the two, away from him and Mystery.

The last thing Arthur saw, before seeing the black of the enclosed trunk, were Lewis’ eyes sparking aflame in the distance, with the very same anger he showed to him when he wanted revenge. He fidgeted in the small trunk, while pulling at the ropes; he heard the men hurry into the two cars, in two different groups. He heard Vivi kick the trunk she was in, fiercely, from the inside, while the motors of the two vehicles rumbled on. And lastly, he heard a sound that muffled anything else, even the wheels screeching and accelerating away, the sound of a huge roared fiery explosion, the sound of magenta fire trying to burn the speeding cars into ashes.

He felt the trembling of the car, while he laid there, taken away. He stopped hearing the sound of the second car, and knew it had driven off in another direction. He heard the van, turned on, but with a flaming roar. He heard Lewis possess it, the thud of a heavy wolf jumping in.

A minute went by, and he only heard the sound of the car he was in, and the nervous breaths of his captors in the other seats.

Lewis had chased for Vivi.

 

* * *

 

 

The highway was long, unending.

A car roared by, at top speed, never stopping, ignoring any speed limit.

Blue eyes watched calmly, even if she bounced inside the trunk with the high speed. She rolled her eyes once more; because she heard the men speak again, each time more panicked.

“I-it is still there!”

“Just keep shooting at it you idiots! T-the exorcisms should stop it! They should!”

She did not need to see light to know. She did not need to see. She could hear the roar of the van, haunting, flaming, and furiously raging through behind them.

She had been in there for far too long.

Vivi gave another angry kick to a side, unable to curse like a sailor, given she had duct tape on her mouth. The men ignored her one hundred and eighty kick, too focused on the ghostly van chasing them.

The van had chased for multiple days already, because the lunatics were too afraid to stop driving. It never slowed. Those flames engulfed it, and there was no driver behind the wheel. There was a dog in the back though.

Mystery huffed and leaned onto the seats again, he glared to the car ahead, with a look that showed how determined he was to bite them all.

“Don’t you dare slow down, Lewis. Ram them off the road at any given chance, I’m tired of waiting for them to doze off or run out of fuel.”

Lewis did not reply quickly. When he did, it was a sound coming from the motor, ghostly and full of anger.

**“The terrain is still uneven. I could hurt her if I slam the van onto the car. Not yet.”**

“She will be fine. She’s tough. Just get them already.”

“ **Like how you could be getting Arthur to safety…?”**

Mystery’s eyes moved subtly, to glare at the front of the van. The dog spoke slowly, trying to show no bias, no preference. He tried to sound rational.

“I’m fast, but not as fast as a car. You’re strong, but not enough to fend off alone those spells. They are three in that car; you need me at your side. We could rescue Arthur first, or have her help later, much more useful against their exorcisms, or something untouchable, like a demon.”

Lewis’ next answer was another loud roar from the van. The wheels screeched, almost damaged with how he had possessed the vehicle. Lewis knew that Arthur would freak out with how he was handling the van. If worry could kill, he would die now, for a second time.

He could not focus on that. The fastest he got Vivi to safety, the fastest he would save Arthur. There was no arguing with the dog, who would do anything to ensure her wellbeing.

The men eventually made the mistake of leaving the deserted highway. They were deadly scared of the ghostly van ramming them off of it, when it was high off the ground below. They made the assumption they would be safer on lower ground, so they took an exit, which went downhill. It was an obvious mistake.

Vivi blinked, because she heard more gunshots and spells out the windows, she heard the van be hit, but unstopped. Next thing she knew, they all screamed in terror, a loud rumbling echoed, and a strong hit followed it all. She huffed, because she rolled in the trunk. She flinched and frowned, shielding herself as much as possible while tied. The car was thrown sideways, and it rolled multiple times. The sound of glass shattering echoed, a tire flied away into the distance, and all was left wrecked.

She was not very faced by all that, even if it could have been deadly. She opened her eyes quickly, and saw she was unharmed, other than a few bruises. The trunk was not crushed. It was pitch black, but not for long. A few magenta flames got in, and were fast to crawl onto her. They only burned one thing, the ropes.

The men were crawling out the car, in pain, some of them with cuts and serious hits. They all trembled, because they had no time to try to get out the wreck. They screamed again, when two things leaped out the van that had slammed onto the car. A huge beast, and that ghost, with his fists up in rage. They were unable to stop the ghost from burning them, not with the wolf’s presence.

By the time Vivi kicked the trunk open and jumped out, Mystery had made sure to leave a lot of bites onto the men, and Lewis had sent a few rolling down the road.

Vivi groaned and stretched, she cracked her neck, and then gave the two a frown.

“You seriously had to go for these idiots didn’t you?”

Lewis and Mystery stopped shaking wildly the last man standing. They looked up with a nervous face, because Vivi was giving them a questioning look. Both spoke dreadfully, and Lewis would sweat if he could.

“Uhm… W-we had to rescue you. I could not let them hurt you.”

“We could not let you get in trouble. We could not split, Arthur had to wait.”

Vivi looked up to the grey sky and let out a tired growl.

“Urgh. You two will never understand that I can take care of myself, will you?” She pointed to the wrecked car, then the far road. “You don’t seem to realize these were not driving to any specific place, did you? They were trying to lose you behind. While you followed, that other car took Arthur to their base! I would have found a way to kick their asses eventually!”

Lewis and Mystery showed the same worry, the same fear. There were guns on the ground, scattered, something that could have hurt her.

“I-I only-“

“But-“

“No buts! I know you needed to be together, I know they can hurt you, Lewis! I know you fear for me. Just stop wasting time and get to the van, NOW!”

She ran, and jumped into the van, with no second thoughts. To Lewis’ and Mystery’s dismay, she was the one to get behind the wheel. And she did not doubt to ask for added aid, even if she was a wild driver.

“Lew, get in the van, literally.”

He did not argue and did as told. Not only for her determined glare, but for his own worry. Mystery was the only one to shrink below her scolding glare, just before she slammed her foot on the gas pedal.

The van drove off, flaming and wilder.

 

* * *

 

 

How he managed to sleep, he did not know.

Some sounds still echoed from that pit, for multiple days. Much smaller, more weak and slow. There was silence for most of the time. He was still tied; he was still prevented from doing anything. He was not given much food, and he had gotten tired of counting the cracks on the walls. He was still wondering when they would come.

Six days had gone by. He still had the hope he had one more day, like the lunatics said. He did not know what they meant with that, and he was sure as hell it could not be good. He was sure he could wait though, that he had time.

It seemed the demon had other plans.

He awoke with a start, with a sharp gasp. He whipped his head up, and saw that shadow again, after hearing those sounds, that echo of something moving sharply down there. He gulped, because he was not the only one to notice.

He cursed under his breath, because the men walked back into the tunnel, and looked down to whatever was down there. They seemed pleased by something, something he was sure he would not like at all.

It did not take them long to look at him.

Arthur pushed with his legs, he moved his shoulders, and he even tried to break his fake arm against the wall. They slowly neared, and surrounded him to look down at him. He returned their look, much more angrily, even if he was scared out of his mind.

“W-what are you looking at, you freaks?! Don’t you dare touch me or I’ll…!”

“You will what?”

He shut his mouth. Not because they were pointing at him with a gun, but for the fact he really could not do much.

“I’ll…”

He hissed when they pulled painfully at his left arm. They untied him, and pushed him towards the pit.

He was held there for a moment, at the edge. He stared at the bottom, and it took him a moment to adapt to the pitch black below. It was indeed a pit, a tunnel, surely made when this mine had been useful. It went down, deep. And it had no exits below; it was like a cage made of earth. What made him shiver were the two things below.

He saw no demon. There were nothing but pipes, scraps and metal there, in the shadows. He could see their outlines, sharp tools, forgotten. He could see the outlines of another thing, a body. He paled and grimaced in horror, because there was the man that had been pushed before him. He was not moving, he was laying there, doing nothing, in a position too uncomfortable for him to be sleeping.

He always expected monologues; he always expected to hear some bullshit about taking over the world. There was none.

“Ah!”

He was pushed, just like the other had been.

He had been untied. His arms and legs trashed while he rolled down. He hit the muddy walls, and he tried to hold on, but kept on falling harshly. It was at least a fall of ten meters, which would have been deadly if the walls were not leaned.

He finally hit bottom ground. He fell face first, with a loud thud and roll. He groaned, and then he tried to look up. He regretted it, very fast.

He scrambled backwards hurriedly, because he rolled near to that body. And with just one look, he was sure he was the only one alive in here. He stared wide eyed, sitting, at what he could have not discerned from above.

The body had superficial cuts; there was blood, dried up, on his back. He could not make how bad the cuts were from where he was. So he took a deep breath, and then began to near slowly, to check for a pulse and see. There was nothing but metal around him.

He thought the demon would appear later; manifest itself, because there was nothing like those shadowy limbs he saw. He deemed it had to be invisible for now.

Arthur dared to lay two fingers on the man’s neck, and shuddered when he found no pulse. And while he turned him around on the ground to see those cuts… Something finally moved. He had left behind those metallic scraps. He had not bothered to look at them. It was a huge hoard of them.

The blond finally turned the man around. He let out a scared sound and moved his hand away, because he saw his back. There were many cuts on his skin, but they were all connected. There was a huge pentagram drawn, cut on his skin, with something sharp, for sure.

He did not have much time to be horrified by those scars. He froze, because he heard it again.

_Klrlrlrlrlr._

It was closer. It was louder. It was right behind him.

Arthur dared to look behind him. He saw nothing but a huge shadow, looming over him and the ground. The metallic hoard was gone. He slowly dared look up.

He screamed loudly and slammed his hands down, to try and move away, even if it meant passing by the body. He looked up to the huge thing, which held itself up with its long sharp limbs, onto the walls around them. It was not easy to describe, not when it had no clear form, nothing but scraps, tools, tubes, knifes and pickaxes as body. If he had to say it was something, he would say a huge shrimp, or a huge cobra with multiple sharp tails, but made of melted metal, with knifes and tools for pincers, and no mouth or anything resembling a face. It was just a hoard of metal, smashed to resemble a deformed beast, crawling together, with a thick layer of dusty coal all over it. The limbs of sharp metal were linked like chains, which it used to make that haunting sound he had heard before.

The ground shook, because the thing let go of the walls. It landed in front of him, now that he had tried to back away.

Arthur shuddered and got to his feet. But he only hit a wall; the pit did not leave much room for him to run. He shrunk against it, when the demon made of metal leaned. It closed in on him, slowly. It leaned the bundle it had for head, which resembled a shell of a crab, and gave him a look he said was inspecting.

Arthur saw a rock at his feet.

“G-get the fuck away from me!”

The thing halted, because a rock hit its _head_ , squarely, thrown angrily and hurriedly. Arthur stood there, much more nervous, because the thing did nothing for a minute, and the lack of eyes and movement made him question if he had managed any harm.

He did not manage anything.

“Ah-aah!”

A pincer had moved, it lashed, fast, like lightning or a snake’s bite. Before he knew it, he was in the air, kicking while his feet dangled. He looked up, and saw it had pierced his left arm, his metallic one. The demon had snatched and raised him up, closer to its face, made of sharp shards of metal, which almost seemed to be its antlers.

The worst part was when said shards shivered, all its body did, when an inhuman voice echoed from between all its knifes.

**“I find this arm of interest. I will make good use of it.”**

Arthur paled even more, if that was possible. He could feel those nonexistent eyes fixed on him, in a way he knew well. It all sent shivers down his spine, in a familiar way, the air was colder, and he just knew.

The demon watched as Arthur began to kick in its hold, angrily and desperately.

“Let go of me! I know exactly what that means, and no! You won’t possess me, or do shit! You won’t have my body! I tell you, even if you do possess me, you will not be able to use me for long! They-!”

The demon was unfazed by his struggles. Arthur was left breathless when it whipped him in the air, to stun and daze him. It left him dizzy enough to handle him easily, and he was unable to do anything but hang while his vest was cut and thrown away to the ground. The knifes did not brush him yet, but he knew they were sharp and precise, just by how they left his shirt and vest, with just one single swipe. He stared, and stared, at those pincers, made of knifes. They all clacked together, making that fucking sound. It did not help that the coal on its metal was dusty, and flowed to his nose with every move it made.

He hanged there, while the demon spoke with a condescending tone.

“ **You’re right and wrong at the same time**.” Arthur was confused and scared, much more when the demon exposed his shoulder blades. **“Yes, I will possess you, easily, even if you show a strong will. No, I will not share your flesh for long. I have another interest, other than that metallic arm of yours, much more imperative for me.”**

The demon went straight to the point, it had no interest in toying with him, and it did not want a reaction or plea from him. One of those pincers loomed, and lowered itself slowly to his skin, while the demon whispered one last thing for him to know.

**“I consume souls.”**

* * *

 

 

His heart pulsed strongly.

Vivi’s face showed urgency in the dark. At her side, a wolf made sure to lead her in the right direction.

She did not need Mystery’s lead to know how to cross this labyrinthine mine. A voice echoed loudly in her mind, urgent and pained.

_“Take the right tunnel ahead. Mind the broken ladder.”_

Her magenta eyes narrowed, she kept running, without needing the ghost to control her movements. She crossed the right tunnel, and reached said ladder. She jumped down, without even bothering to use it. Just as she was going to hit the ground, her hands glowed, but not with their usual blue tone, but with magenta flames, which muffled her fall when she slammed them down.

She stood again, and went deeper into the mine, not bothering to wait for Mystery.

She did not need Mystery to protect her. She had Lewis. And Lewis had her. Neither could be hurt, not when he was in her heart, possessing her. He would burn any bullet shot at her, she would take any spell meant for him to banish.

All to find Arthur.

Both ran. Her scarf flowed behind her as she took sharp turns he told her to. He could feel where Arthur was.

He was alive, that, they knew. But they didn’t know HOW he was.

They did not have many hopes he was in perfect condition. Not when the air of the mine was stale, and each tunnel was in worse condition. There was dust everywhere, and all seemed like it could fall down at any moment. He had been here for six days, while they had been in that chase in the roads. It took them too much time to arrive here.

The guilt in them increased, when they reached the core of the mine. The halted for a second, and then gazed at the dungeon the bastards had in there. There were pipes all around, and on them chains, that had been tied for sure onto their victims. There was a corpse, which had seemed to have been pulled and dragged out of somewhere. The lunatics were ahead, sitting near some tables, working with metal scraps and tools. Lewis and Vivi did not pay mind to them raising their guns, because they saw that pit.

Lewis did not see like a human, and neither did she now. They saw clearly what was below.

**“Arthur!”**

He was down there, unmoving. They would have jumped down, they would. But she had to move and dodge a bullet. She snarled and readied her fists, while letting Mystery leap ahead. Lewis let her invoke his fire; tangle it with her own will. She did not doubt to answer to the exorcisms they tried to send to her, with flames. They received many blows of spells, but none worked, not when it was a willful possession.

Vivi and Lewis burned many of them, while Mystery entertained himself, taking joy in biting them, not deadly, but painfully enough, for having shoved her in a trunk.

In a matter of minutes, there were none standing. They made sure to tie them all up like they tied their victims, to ensure they did not exorcise Lewis once they parted. Possessions were tiring, and they had been like this for two hours.

Her eyes regained their blue color at last. Vivi huffed and slumped. She did not hit the ground, because two hands manifested themselves, and held her up. They leaned her gently against a wall, and she did not need to speak for him to know what he had to do.

She did not complain when Lewis left her side. Mystery and him neared the pit once more, and looked down.

Then ghost took a deep breath that he did not need, and then floated down. When he touched the bottom, Mystery landed too with a strong jump. They both stepped near Arthur, who was laying on the ground sideways. Lewis took his living form, and called worriedly.

“Arthur…”

Mystery smelled the blood. Lewis didn’t. So the ghost was the one to be alarmed when one of his hands reached for him.

Lewis moved his hand away in shock, his eyes opened wide. He stared mouth agape, at the cuts on his back. They were fresh, not deep, but enough to make a trail of blood. The vest and shirt were ripped, cut. Lewis saw now that the huge bundle of metal was not only leftovers of a mine, not when they had blood on one point.

“W-what the-“

Mystery growled, suddenly. Lewis did not like how he showed his fangs at Arthur, but he soon understood why.

**“So this is what my servants were so scared of.”**

Arthur sat up, slowly. Lewis watched in horror, because again, he lost sight of those amber eyes he loved to see. He saw a grey tone to them, lacking anything that described Arthur.

He did not know how to react to the look those eyes were giving him, so he did nothing but shiver when Mystery tangled a tail around Arthur’s neck, without hurting. Mystery leaned close to the blond, and menaced.

**“Get out.”**

Arthur only leaned his head, even if the cuts looked to be painful. There was no trace of pain on that uncaring expression. His voice was taunting, but plain.

“Or what?”

Mystery was going to roar, but another sound interrupted their glaring contest.

“Please, leave him.”

Mystery looked sideways, and saw Lewis there, crying, still in the same sitting position, shocked. His eyes were begging; his voice had not been furious, but desperate, broken. He was looking to those grey eyes sadly, and they only looked back with no care.

The ghost was desperate. He had seen this before, and knew it was horrible to endure.

The demon spoke, with a condescending smile.

“I will, in time.”

Lewis only needed a few seconds, a single look from those eyes to know what it meant. He had seen the corpse; he knew it was not the first. Mystery let go with his tail, because Arthur pushed it off, knowing well they cared enough to not hurt him. The demon spoke, like if it was only explaining to a child.

“Humans are weak. I do not wish to use their bodies. I do not wish their flesh. I wish to use the most precious thing they have, to fuel my own body, to create something, to allow myself more sustain.”

The ghost finally stood, with a broken expression. He stood there, thinking over those horrifying words. Arthur’s eyes narrowed, because Lewis turned slowly, and looked at the huge bundle of metal, now limp, dead. The ghost’s fists sparked aflame, clenched painfully.

“So you are saying you are a damn insatiable glutton…” Lewis looked over his shoulder, and gave Arthur a stare full or rage, full of impotence and anger. **“What if I melt every single scrap you have hoarded to ashes?”**

The lunatics had been working with metal for a reason. They had been throwing it in the pit from time to time.

Arthur seemed to ponder; unfazed by the dark glare he was receiving. Just for a minute. He then explained, as a matter of fact, while motioning with his robotic hand.

“I’ll have to start again, indeed. I have infused that metal with power; I’ve fueled it with the souls. The more I grow, the stronger I am, the more I can take from humans by force. Humans seem to wish to see me rise as well, as you may have seen. They are greedy. If you destroy what I have created, I will just begin anew.” He clenched that metallic fist, and stared at it intently. “I will be weak, but capable. Nothing can stop me from whispering to another human; convince him to carve the flesh of another of his kind, to obtain a weapon stronger than any other. Then, with one soul at a time, grow, until I am able to hunt myself. More and more. Destructible in form, but not in essence. I have no body, I have no end. You cannot bring me to the place after death, I am human made, born from their voraciousness and greed. You would only be a nuisance; you would disappear eventually from this world, while I remain waiting. Always waiting.”

Lewis did not know what to say against such indifference. There was only mild annoyance in that voice, which always spoke much more cheerfully, and much less crudely.

His magenta eyes stopped looking to those grey ones; he looked up, and his heart cracked more. She had been watching. Vivi was there, above at the edge, glancing with the same broken gaze as him, unable to say anything, even if she was screaming inside.

They could only ask one thing to themselves. Why?

They had been careless. Even if it had been out of their control.

Mystery had to be the one to speak when the young ghost and human were unable to. He turned to face Arthur again, and loomed, without showing his fangs, knowing Arthur was very aware of what was happening. He took away his left arm already, and knew he still remembered well.

He spoke to the demon, with a hissed growl.

“You won’t take his soul, you disgusting thing. We will find a way to erase you.”

To everyone’s anger, Arthur bowed his head, and then grinned and moved his arms up, taunting.

“Try. You have a week.”

 

* * *

 

 

Lewis made sure to toy with the lunatics minds’, give them nightmares to replace the memory of this place. Then, after throwing them onto a field nearby, he made sure to crumble down that unholy mine.

The demon did nothing to try to stop them. All the contrary. Arthur followed without resistance. He obliged rather uncaringly to follow them out, like if the demon did not care at all. It did not care, even if that huge hoard was indeed destroyed, and the mine was left inaccessible by human means anymore.

Vivi found his compliant smile haunting. She knew Arthur was there. It hurt. Too much. She could not forgive herself, neither did Lewis.

“I’m sorry.”

They had gone back to the van, because they knew Arthur had to hate that mine. Again, with no resistance. It was awkward to see the demon controlling Arthur, and just sit there, cross-legged in the back of the van. Much more when he allowed them both to see that pentagram cut on his shoulders. She was sitting at Arthur’s side, wearily. She felt rage when the demon dared to reply to her words, taunting.

“He surely appreciates to be in here, rather than anywhere else. Brings him some kind of ease.”

Vivi always acted in impulse. Lewis knew, and luckily, he stopped her fist before she could do something she wanted to do but would regret. Her blue eyes looked up at the ghost with an apologetic look, and she lowered her fist, remembering it would not be the demon who would feel it, but Arthur.

Lewis let go of her hand gently, and stared intently at Arthur, who was merely waiting in silence. The ghost only managed one thing.

“What do we do?”

They wanted to hug him, to whisper it would be alright. But it felt wrong with that thing in control.

Vivi frowned more, and spoke while trying to not show her desperation in her voice.

“…I remember that one time…” Lewis had been stuck possessing Arthur once.  She stood and commanded. “If what we know is true, we don’t have much time. Going back to the mansion won’t help much; the drive there would waste too much time. Lew, take me near the coast.”

The demon heard Arthur’s thoughts.

“He wonders if it’s the only way, he does not look fondly on the idea. I see what you did once, and I warn you, it will only manage to make this worse for him. It won’t work.”

Vivi ignored him. She stood and jumped over the seats to get behind the wheel.

“Lewis, come on.”

The ghost gave a last glance down at Arthur, sad and intent. He tried to look past those grey eyes.

“Hang on.” He then turned and phased through the seats, to haunt the van. “The faster the better.”

Mystery had never stopped sitting near Arthur, in his true form. His tails moved, tense. He was ready to stop anything he could try to flee. But Arthur was just waiting; he was doing nothing but look to a side with feigned boredom, with his arms crossed.

He did not even try to escape when the van began its way towards the coast.

 

* * *

 

 

“I warn you once more, it is futile.”

Vivi was holding a bowl, full of a content meant to be an exorcism, in liquid. It had a lot of salt, given it had sea water. It had taken her two days to obtain it, one to arrive to the sea, and another to brew it. And now, the demon was staring at it, with an eyebrow raised. It was not even showing the grumpiness Arthur would show.

Lewis grew angry with the demon’s comment. Arthur did not flinch when the ghost leaned and showed its skull in a puff of flames, with a furious demand.

**“Drink.”**

The demon could easily refuse. It knew they would not dare touch him. Yet he found the idea of taunting them much more pleasing.

Vivi and Lewis blinked when Arthur grabbed the bowl with a smile, with a shrug.

“I did not say I wouldn’t. I just wanted to warn you one last time.” He raised the small bowl in his hand, and grinned before drinking. “Cheers.”

Mystery growled, because he drank it all, without showing disgust for the ingredients, like he did once.

Arthur sighed and threw the bowl away. All waited. And waited. Only for the demon to comment again, with a half silent snort.

“He really hated it.”

Vivi shook subtly while staring at those eyes. Lewis’ flames grew, while Mystery contained his urge to try to burn that pentagram on his skin with his tails.

The three sat there in the back of the van, unaware of the words Arthur could hear.

**“ _I told you should have not expected it to work again. He is a ghost, different from me, a demon.”_**

In his own mind, Arthur shuddered and cried, unable to speak. He wanted to, because he heard Vivi speak again, each time more fearfully.

“Lew, call your deadbeats, make them come. Have them bring my books, and some ingredients. It will save time. I’ll keep trying things while you drive back home, we have to hurry.”

Arthur could hear and see it all.

 

* * *

 

 

The night was cold.

It would be dark, were not for the many magenta glows that flowed in the air. A van was driving, without anyone there behind the wheel. Many deadbeats were flying around it as it speeded ahead, humming sadly and in focus. They were haunting it, while a girl slept, exhausted. Only three were awake, while the deadbeats focused on reaching their home.

Lewis looked away from Vivi. He closed his eyes for a second, unable to keep looking at her. She was asleep at last. She had not stopped reading, she had not stopped making her hands glow. She had tried everything, and nothing worked.  The wolf was not truly asleep, but he was resting at her side, covering her with his tails.

The ghost opened his eyes, and finally looked again at Arthur. He was not asleep either. He was sitting in front of him, with his arms crossed as well, looking right at his magenta eyes.

The silence had been too tense. And each time it was broken, it left them more broken.

It came again.

“He is wondering if you will dare hurt him, to make him have a breakdown.”

Those magenta eyes narrowed. He had considered it too. He had done it before, to manage to dispute the possession with another demon.

Lewis glared, and asked darkly, never breaking eye contact.

“It is my last option. But I am considering it. I will do anything to ensure his safety.”

Arthur leaned his head, and gave him a blank stare. Host and demon could see well how Lewis was holding his own arms, and how his clenched hands were blazing in anger.

The demon decided to be blunt.

“There’s no need for that. It won’t work, honestly.” Arthur pointed with a finger at his own heart, and let out a tired sigh. “He knows you care. He knows anything you do it’s not truly meant. He broke that time, because he thought you hated him, wanted him dead. Save him from the trouble, he has enough. You two are just wasting time, when you could be saying goodbye instead.”

The ghost growled deeply. He menaced the demon with just a dark look.

**“I’m not saying goodbye.”**

“You could.” Before Lewis could burst in anger, the demon kept talking. “I could leave enough room for you to speak with him.”

Lewis blinked. He did not understand.

“What…?”

Arthur smiled and leaned his head to suggest.

“I’m saying, that you can possess him. I will allow you to. It is certain that you won’t be able to free him, not even if we possess him at once. I have him chained, with a grasp you can’t break, not even if you see it from the inside. Go ahead; make good use of the time he has left, speak with his very soul. Because I just need to wait. He’s afraid, even if still hopeful. He’s getting weaker, more broken, while you just sit there, hoping that dog and human will find a solution that won’t come. He would appreciate seeing you; he would like to say a few things, because no matter how he denies it to himself, he dreads your failure. Time will run out.”

Lewis sat there, speechless. He only managed to say one word.

“Why?”

“Why do I offer you this?” The demon pondered again, and then explained plainly. “Because once I’m done, nothing will be left of him. Nothing. I don’t do this to see suffering, it is my form of sustain, the only way in which to satiate the hunger humans have given me. I’m just giving some ease to my prey, before I take away everything it is. Don’t take for granted my pity.”

How many souls had this beast eaten? How many had died along the centuries?

Lewis did not know the answer. He just could think of one thing.

Arthur did not move when Lewis did, wordlessly. The ghost was glad Vivi was asleep while he neared slowly. He crouched in front of the blond, and whispered, very seriously.

“This does not mean I surrender. I only do this to be closer to him, to shield him.”

“You can’t shield him. You should give up, ghost.” Arthur outstretched his real hand, with a condescending smile. “Go ahead, share some last words. Now that you can.”

Mystery was watching the exchange. He watched, as Lewis doubted to take that hand, looking at it painfully. The demon was patient, and waited for the ghost to make his mind.

It hurt too much deep inside. Not only for Lewis.

It was pitch black, a void where nothing could be seen. Nothing but a faint glow. Souls had a form, which could not be understood by human minds. It resided in a body, but it always flowed in its own plane of existence. It had no physical form, but it had an essence. It was always there if there was life.

Arthur could only see a faint glow in the dark. He opened his eyes, even if he had not stopped seeing all this time, in too many ways. He let out a breath that did not have air, and looked at his own chest. It glowed, faintly, with his own emotions and outlines. He was not seeing with his real eyes, his soul was not flowing freely, not controlling his body, and so, he was seeing himself, in a way he felt before.

He averted his gaze, because his figure was merely a faint glow, weak, with each hour that went by. He looked up weakly, because he felt something. It had been extremely cold; he had been feeling an ache he could not really define. It all faded a little, when a faint magenta glow grew. He felt a touch, on his hand, he saw a ghost disappear. But said ghost never left, it only got closer.

Lewis stood there, in the void. His figure was quivering, only a reflection of his own spirit, manifested in Arthur’s mind, in a way the human could understand. His magenta eyes looked up, after manifesting himself, and finally saw in which way the demon held Arthur.

“ _God…”_

Arthur frowned, able to see the horror on Lewis’ face. He looked down and smiled tiredly, with another pant and trembling breath. Lewis saw him smile, even with how he was.

There were chains in the dark, all over. Everywhere. Arthur was hanging, by his arms and hands, in the air. Here, in his mind, he had the arm he lost that time. The chains were tangling like snakes, all over his soul, his figure, but they left his torso exposed. All that metal went into the dark, to grasp the unseen walls of his being, while they stabbed in the core of his soul. The chains came from one place, they were sinking deeply into Arthur’s shoulders, and as well, there were the cuts he had in his real body.

Lewis snarled and hurried to get closer, because Arthur dared to laugh and greet him like if this was not happening. His voice was weak, but it had that trace of optimism there.

_“H-hey, Lewis.”_

Lewis’ hands got a quick grip on those chains. He pulled angrily, wishing to rip them out. But he stopped, because Arthur let a hiss and squirmed between the chains, clearly pained with the pull.

Arthur saw Lewis stop pressuring with his fists on the chains, to then lower them on his shoulders gently. He saw how horrified he was, speechless, looking at it all in a daze.

_“God, Arthur, I’m so sorry. I should have not let this happen. This is- How dare that thing-?“_

_“C-calm down. I’m f-fine.”_ Lewis hated when Arthur tried to wave off everything, when he tried to joke in the worst of situations. “ _I’m hanging o-on.”_

Literally.

He was trying to show he was alright, but it was far from true. This was only a representation of what his soul was going through, and illusion, but it was still painful. Maybe more than if it was physical. He was breathing painfully, and he was wincing from time to time, shivering under those cold chains. He felt exactly like if he was burning, and being stabbed, torn apart slowly. His soul was being drained, slowly. He could feel the cold of the demon whispering, without words he could understand.

Lewis laid his hands onto Arthur’s chest, and made sure to try to ease that cold. His own soul tangled around the human’s and tried to keep away the demon, which was ever present, watching, only allowing him to brush Arthur’s soul.

_“Listen to me, Arthur. We have gone through this already. I’m here; you can feel me here with you. You have to try with me, alright? We have to make that thing leave, we have to struggle together.”_

Arthur moved his head up again and gave him a raise of eyebrow. Lewis was already grabbing those chains again, mindful of his skin, where they stabbed.

 _“I don’t think that will do this time.”_ His amber eyes looked over his shoulders, and gave the cut pentagram a pained glare. _“It’s a possession. But it feels different. All are different. Its core is not in one arm, you know… It- When I fell in that pit, it really left a mark. “_

Lewis let out an angry huff and looked at him in the eye. He gently moved up his chin with one hand, and asked again.

_“It’s worth a try. It has let me in, it will regret it. Come on. I know you’re tired, but try.”_

Arthur gave Lewis an insecure glance, but then nodded a little. He closed his eyes, and focused, while Lewis brushed the chains more angrily.

A grey dust seemed to flow around the two souls, watching. It was doing nothing but wait, see if the ghost managed to free the human. The two souls were twisting and tangling, pulsing for the third presence to let go. To no avail. Arthur tried, he really held on for Lewis to pull him away from that cold grasp, but it was extremely painful. He felt his being be divided, without the demon needing to even try, just be there.

He did not manage to stand it for long.

“ _S-stop.”_

Lewis halted, instantly. He let go of the chains again, as soon as Arthur gasped and begged with a pained word. The blond slumped and whimpered; he hanged more limp, with his eyes shut. The pentagram on his back was seeming to burn ablaze, the chains seemed to sink more.

The ghost could do nothing but stand there while Arthur tried to breathe, and the demon whispered.

**_“You’re only making it worse.”_ **

Neither said anything for a while. It took a lot of time for Arthur to recover slightly, and when he did, he barely looked up. He looked at Lewis sideways, tiredly, with a frown. He asked, while trying to hide his dread.

_“It won’t do t-this way. Do me a favor, would you?”_

Lewis looked away for a second, with an angry and doubtful look. He hated to hear that. But he still resigned to listen.

_“What do you want me to do?.”_

“…” Arthur laughed sarcastically, while containing a hiss. _“Don’t let Vivi scold you. You did well finding her first.”_

_“Arthur, I shouldn’t have let this-“_

_“You should not blame yourselves. Hear me?”_ Those amber eyes narrowed, seriously. Lewis trembled under their glare. Arthur spoke slowly, wanting to be heard clearly. _“I do not think this thing will let me become a ghost or pass on. But I swear, if the worst happens, I don’t want you to get all… Like I did when I killed you. I would come back from any fucking place I end up in just to yell at you both. You did your best. This got out of hand, for too many people, we did at least something. That mine is gone; this thing will take a lot of time to recover.”_

Lewis shivered, because Arthur smiled and raised his head, with a hopeful smile. He looked him in the eye, with that cheerfulness he knew.

_“B-besides, she’s fucking smart. She’ll figure out something. My bad luck can only go on for so long, right? I have not gotten out from so many things to die now like this! I’m not that unlucky, I have you both.”_

_“…”_

_“Don’t give me that look. Don’t tell me that you think Vivi’s not clever enough. She usually gets clues faster than Mystery.”_

_“It’s not that. I just… I don’t think I deserve the trust you give me.”_

_“Says the one who got shoved down a cliff.”_

_“Not again, Arthur.”_

_“F-fine. But just stop apologizing for what has happened.”_ Arthur opened his mouth, to then close it. He focused on breathing for a while, feeling more tired, exhausted. _“Lewis, it hurts to think. I have suffered blackouts in here from time to time. I think… I may lose it. It tires me to speak, so, just one last thing. The deadbeats are driving, she’s asleep. Would you… Stay until she wakes? It really is better with you here, but I don’t want her to know what you are seeing.”_

Lewis felt his heart crack. He felt useless. But he still nodded and held him close, even if the chains made it difficult. Arthur just breathed out and closed his eyes, while letting his head rest against Lewis. The chains were blazing, and were tangling more and more, with every minute that went by.

The demon watched until Lewis left, until the ghost stopped grasping his soul, with a last reassuring whisper.

_“Just wait.”_

* * *

 

 

There were many books scattered in the back of the van.

The van was roaring, speeding, with the power of all deadbeats and Lewis’. Yet it was not enough.

Vivi snarled and threw the book she held against a wall, feeling extremely desperate. Mystery growled and grabbed said book with a tail, to keep reading it himself. They had only one day left, and Arthur looked horrible. He was pale, and even if the demon tried to keep him straight, it was obvious it was painful. They had trouble making him eat, not only for the fact that the demon did not make it easy, but for the fact that Arthur looked like he really was losing it. They were still far from the mansion, and time was running out. Vivi was grabbing book after book, trying to find an answer.

They had found a possible answer, that morning. But neither wanted to accept it. It was farfetched, and too painful.

Only Mystery seemed to consider it. He had seen a glint in those grey eyes, as soon as they read of it in one old book. There was still sureness in the demon, but the menace to his grasp was there.

“Vivi.” She looked up at Mystery, who was looking at her with a cold look. “It’s the only way. We have to do it.”

Vivi clenched her teeth and growled at him, enraged.

“That’s not an option! You are too fast to lash out!”

The wolf stood, even if the van was not big enough for him to do so fully. He loomed over her, and stated darkly, but with care.

“You know well I ripped his arm for a good reason, that he would not be here had I not done it. This is similar. You either hurt him, or let him suffer a worse fate than death. He won’t only die, but be consumed.”

The van came to a sudden halt as soon as the wolf moved his tails subtly towards Arthur. Lewis manifested himself out the motor, flaming in anger. He got in between, and glared at the wolf.

**“We are not going to hurt him in any way. He had enough.”**

Both wolf and ghost glared at each other. Until a fourth voice spoke up, with a taunting laugh.

“Heh, you humans and your sentimentality.” Arthur gave the three a look, especially at Mystery. “You should know well they just CAN’T. They have found a way, but they are too caring to think of it. Even if they said they would do anything. I just have to wait, while you expect a sudden miracle.”

The demon had carved on human skin. It latched itself on its prey with a symbol, which was too fierce to heal in time, before it got what it wanted.

A book described how demons latched onto humans. In many different ways. In any way they could. This one had done so with scars, cuts, a sign. A sign that held meaning for it. All had a meaning, and all could be distorted with more.

They only needed to alter that pentagram. Just like how it had been drawn.

Lewis looked down. There was a small knife near the books the deadbeats brought. It had been taken with many ingredients, meant to be used to cut them and mixing them. Not for that.

Arthur did blink when Lewis tensed, when he turned darkly, to loom over him.

“…I did say I considered hurting him to save him.”

For the first time, the demon did not voice Arthur’s thoughts. It was an honest demon, blunt and cold. And Lewis saw clearly its silence as doubt. It did not dare voice what Arthur wanted.

Vivi tried to stop Lewis when he grabbed said knife.

“Lewis, don’t!”

He did not need to stop her. Vivi growled and cursed, because Mystery held her still with his tails. The deadbeats had flowed out the van, and were floating nervously, sensing their master’s dread and pain. Lewis did not show any of that though. Lewis’ skull was engulfed in flames, and he showed his real face, while he neared Arthur.

The demon finally showed some kind of resistance, at last. But Lewis easily grabbed him, much more easily when Arthur was so weak. Not even with the possession was he able to do much more than try to move away, still sitting. The ghost pinned him down, face down, and only showed subtle regret. There was sorrow deep in those magenta eyes, while Arthur struggled under his grip.

Lewis snapped his fingers, and that was enough for his deadbeats to understand.

Arthur was burning; he was hanging from those chains, which were now all over him, strangling him. He was barely able to think, he was struggling to not give in to the hunger of the demon. He was in pain, lost, but he did feel something. He could feel many beings trying to reach his mind and soul, see him. They were not able to possess him, given that the demon was denying them place, but… He let them feel a trace of his mind. His will, even if human, was strong. He had gone through a lot, and all had broken him, but made him stronger.

“ _Do it.”_

The deadbeats were only able to sense those thoughts from the human. They only heard that whisper, so hard to be allowed out the claws of the devil.

Lewis heard it. And it was enough for him.

Arthur felt the first cut.

He grimaced and squirmed under the chains. He pulled with his arms and legs, trying to endure the pain, but every move only hurt more. The cut had been slow, not fierce, and not deep. But it had been precise and cold. It hurt much less than the cuts the metallic hoard gave him, but combined with the demon trying to consume his soul, it was hell.

He hanged on. He gritted and gasped, in a dark place, his own mind and body. There were more cuts, more decisive than the first. With each, he felt that dusty coal stop suffocating him; he felt the chains pressure and bend. The demon was losing grip. He pulled too, weakly. He managed to free one of his arms. The chains holding his legs fell. He could move his neck freely again.

Lewis let out a long huff. He closed his eyes, and laid the sharp edge on the last part he needed to mark.

“Get out.”

He ended the marking of a heart over the pentagram, with a last slow slice.

Arthur heard the knife fall. He heard the sound of flames fading, the sound of a ghost banishing in thin air. And again, he felt another grip in his soul. But it was not cold, it was not painful. It was not pulling and tearing to get in forcefully, but caressing and reaching softly, begging.

The demon snarled with annoyance. The dust parted slightly, because that magenta soul tangled around the golden one, and covered it all, not possessively, but protectively. It could not reach the human any more, all the chains broke, and that golden soul flowed weakly, free at last. Arthur’s soul gave in on itself, sure it was safe.

Lewis tried to claw at that being, which was still present, fading away slowly. He cursed; he grew aflame in anger, because he was not able to destroy it. He could not consume the demon with his own will. The devil whispered, barely angry.

**“ _Well played. Another prey escapes my claws, but do not think this is a true victory against me; it is only one for him. I can’t be erased, I prevail in time. Farewell.”_**

Mystery finally let go of Vivi. She did not lunge at Arthur, but sit there, wide eyed. She saw Lewis reappear, and hold the blond up. Arthur was unconscious, but alive. Lewis looked up at her slowly, and they stared at each other for a while. He apologized without words, and then, reached slowly with a hand to Arthur’s closed eyes. He opened one gently, for her to see.

It was not grey.

 

* * *

 

 

“We’re sorry.”

Arthur did not look at her. He just kept his head onto his knees, while she sat behind him. She was holding a handkerchief, and was brushing it on his scars, slowly and carefully. Lewis was there too, sitting on the van, looking while she worked.

The cuts had been painful, they had been fierce. But they would heal and fade. All of them. He would have to wait, but they would. The demon did not cut deeply, because these would give enough time to allow his soul to be consumed. He would heal, he was sure of it. He was at their side.

The blond spoke, still blushing and refusing to look at them in the eye. He answered Vivi, yet again.

“And I’m thankful. So stop being a parrot, Viv.” He mocked her playfully, slightly cynical. “You are always rough when we argue, but you were not able to…”

“Of course I couldn’t.” She frowned at the marks; she did not miss how Lewis’s eyes were full of shame. “I have the guts for many things, but not for this.”

Lewis could see the mood was not exactly the best. They were beaten, emotionally and physically.

The only thing the ghost could do, was comment her last words, while looking at his own ribs with a sad but funny glance.

“At least you have some.”

Vivi and Arthur stared at him for a whole minute, deadpanned. But then they snorted. That snort became a soft laughter, unable to be kept inside. Lewis grabbed them both in a hug and pulled them close, mindful of those cuts. It was the only thing they managed to do. They held each other, not daring to mutter sorry or anything else. They just waited for the emotional pain to go away, while being together.

They cried and laughed in the night, while Mystery stood outside silently, hearing their bond.

 


End file.
